Machiavelli: A Biography

The name of Niccolò Machiavelli has become synonymous with the cynical and selfish pursuit of power, but the real Machiavelli, says Miles Unger, was a humane and perceptive writer whose controversial theories were a response to the violence and corruption he saw around him. His first political mission was to spy on the religious reformer Savonarola, and as a diplomat he matched wits with Pope Alexander VI and his son, the infamous Cesare Borgia, whose violent career served as a model for The Prince. Analyzing their successes and failures, Machiavelli developed his revolutionary approach to power politics based on the world as it is, not as it should be.

"For most people, 'Machiavellian' means ruthless, the application of power without remorse. Thanks to a fascinating portrait by Miles J. Unger, the real Machiavelli comes across the centuries as something more: a man with whom many of us might like to spend a few hours in rich conversation."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch